AVPro Edge AC-EX40-444-KIT

The debut of the legendary AC-EX40-444-KIT featured the premiere of AVPro Edge’s transformative Invisible Compression Technology (ICT), the unprecedented, standard-setting gateway for video excellence in HDMI extension research, development, and the preamble for products designed to transport UHD 4K60 4:4:4 signals across the copper category cable domain.

The revolutionary AC-EX-444-KIT was the first implementation of AVPro Edge’s proprietary ICT, demonstrating that a 17.82Gbps, UHD 4K60 4:4:4 video signal could transit twisted pair copper with artifact-free, dynamic, deep color aplomb. So foundational was the AC-EX40-444-KIT our world-class engineers, undaunted, further challenged physics as two additional kits followed offering ever-greater extension distance, the AC-EX70-444-KIT and the class-leading AC-EX100-444-KIT. HDR metadata, static or dynamic, rides untouched atop the video signal as the AC-EX40-444-KIT flawlessly delivers perfect-to-the-pixel, high bandwidth, top-tier image fidelity. To this day, the AC-EX40-444-KIT remains captain for the team of AVPro Edge HDBaseT protocol HDMI extenders.

Key benefits of using AC-EX40-444-KIT:

When AVPro Edge set out to design HDMI extension devices, we knew the 10.2 Gbps constraint of copper category wire precluded the use of compression technology. Chip sets that centralized their operational characteristics to Display Stream Compression (DSC) were carefully auditioned and were found unable to meet our deep-rooted performance demands honed from our long association with the Imaging Science Foundation.

Because AVPro Edge is a vertically aligned, board-level up, core manufacturer and not merely an assembler using widely available, pre-configured, third-party internals, our engineering team determined the only uncompromising solution would be to author an original algorithm. This clean slate started with procuring the highest caliber component parts available to create the circuit architecture required for unalterable, precision calculations at blazing speeds.

Collaboration with Panasonic continued regarding tangential application options available from utilizing their high-speed chipset, selected by AVPro Edge engineers for HDMI accuracy and by our image fidelity appraisal staff for transparent picture quality. Addressable on-board processing power, interfacing with customized Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), enabled a path forward for the proprietary, unique ICT algorithm to hurdle from theory into physical testing. What evolved was a powerful, artifact-free, compression technology to accurately process high bandwidth video signals at any conventional resolution, frame rate, and chroma configuration while delivering unmatched value with unparalleled performance.

ICT’s specialty is spotlighted by what you won’t see:

• No acute banding: In expansive scenes where multiple adjacent hues subtly blend, such as extra-wide shots featuring skies, oceans, or deserts, seashell-shaped sculpted lines become prominently visible within the image. Competing manufacturers using standard compression technology options are forced to reduce bit rate for bandwidth preservation, resulting in poorly rendered images when reconstructed at the receiving end.
• No pale, washed-out colors: Ferrari’s famous Rosso Corsa Formula 1 red will never appear as carnation pink with ICT.
• No motion artifacts: Simply stated, an artifact is an anomaly appearing in the reconstructed image on the receiving end display, which was not present in the source, prior to extension. There are dozens of acronyms for these peculiarities, all which will remain unseen with ICT by AVPro Edge.
• ICT provides a more engaging, wide-spectrum, user-immersive experience by preventing artifacts DSC might allow to develop.

EXTEND 4K60 4:4:4 WITH HDR SIGNALS: HDCP was conceived to assure content holders copy protection for their media. The 19 conductor HDMI format was designed to facilitate this process when transporting media between devices, using a total of 8, small gauge wires to handle video information with the bulk of those remaining devoted to system policing. It wasn’t envisioned that sources would be placed elsewhere than the immediate display location, and the first HDMI cable designs dramatically exemplified these inherent problems with a useable HDMI cable length barely exceeding fifteen feet. Over time, this thankfully has been addressed in a variety of well-sorted ways, including AVPro Edge Bullet Train cables. Still, there are no “on-site, made to length” HDMI cables however with unrivaled ease, the extraordinary AC-EX-444-KIT extends a high bandwidth UHD 4K source an impressive one hundred and fifteen feet including Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, or HLG.

DOWNSCALING: Problem-solving scaling circuitry is incorporated into the AC-EX40-444-KIT transmitter chassis, capable of rescaling UHD 4K (including HDR signals) to 1080P. When paired with an AVPro Edge HDMI matrix switcher, scaling with EDID management allows the extender to tailor signal delivery in the highest caliber when legacy displays are retained. Heavy lifting by the AC-EX40-444-KIT simplifies deployment and prevents diluted performance in a mixed system.

COMPREHENSIVE EDID MANAGEMENT: Legacy HD displays are often retained for use in new installation projects and occasionally their dated EDIDs impart problems contending with present-day sources. Robust EDID control on the AC-EX40-444-KIT enables juggling video resolutions and audio codec combinations for an EDID that provides a congenial match for reliable system operation. EDID Copy allows for acute copying and saving of a known, working EDID, for stable kit functionality and HDCP repeatability.

DISTANCE CAPABILITIES: Transmission distance varies by resolution bandwidth. HD 1080P signals can be sent 70 meters (230’) while 4K resolutions reliably reach 40 meters (115’). For new construction or whenever possible, shielded CAT6A is recommended.

AUDIO EXTRACTION: Always active on both kit ends, PCM 2 Channel L/R Audio can be extracted from Phoenix connectors and sent to an AVR or distribution amplifier. NOTE: These ports only work if the source is set to output 2 Channel Audio. If down-mixing is required, please see the AVPro Edge AC-AVDM-AUHD.

ONBOARD TROUBLESHOOTING: Leave your Fox & Hound test kit behind in the shop? The AC-EX40-444-KIT has you covered. When required, the transmitter can generate a 1080P or 4K test pattern to aid with wire verification, switcher configuration settings, or source viability.

CONTROL OPTIONS: Configurable, bidirectional control for IR & RS-232 signals provides a carefully nuanced added plus to the AC-EX40-444-KIT, consolidating wiring to a solitary pull and mitigating the use of supplemental devices for a clean, efficient installation. Simplified control requirements can take advantage of the AC-EX40-444-KIT’s I-PASS, forwarding commands directly from a control system IR-out port into the TX unit I-PASS input, proceeding to the receiving end and routing directly from the RX unit’s IR-out into the display’s IR input jack (if equipped) or through an attached IR emitter.

ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection adds a welcomed layer of defense for all connected products.

POWER REQUIREMENTS: Power over HDBaseT (PoH) allows both devices to be fully powered from a user-selectable, single unit. The individual chassis of the AC-EX40-444-KIT are approximately cell phone-dimensioned, making placement options unlimited. Typical applications find the RX unit mated to the rear, jack panel area of the display with the TX unit and power supply positioned at the source end.

WEATHER BE DAMNED: A companion kit, the AC-EX40-444-KIT-SEA supplies worry-free fun outdoors. It is identical to the AC-EX40-444-KIT but sports an IPX68 rating from its SEALOC protective coating, a nanofluid developed explicitly for electronic circuitry. IPX68 is a rating system for ingress protection, 6 representing the highest score against dust intrusion and 8 very high for water penetration (higher scores are reserved for submersible devices subject to high pressure… 8 is perfect in this application!).